Social worker from The Berman Center sheds light on how to change the course of addiction.
According to the 2023 United States National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 48.5 million (16.7%) Americans battled a substance use disorder in the past year. But many people have addictions that aren’t drugs or alcohol; they can span a multitude of behaviors, such as social media use, exercise, gambling, smoking and more.
Addiction looks different for every person, and for this reason, the medical community chooses not to define it. As the adolescent program director at The Berman Center, an intensive outpatient program in Sandy Springs that treats mental health and substance abuse disorders, Allie Sanford has a clear definition. She says addiction is using a substance to cope with something, whether that is trauma, boredom or loneliness. “It is leaning on that substance in a way that is unhealthy because it creates issues in other areas of your life,” she says.
HOW IT STARTS
According to Sanford, addiction almost always starts out as simply having fun, whether that’s drinking with friends, scrolling on TikTok or playing video games. However, at some point, the brain starts to associate the enjoyable activity with relief from a negative emotion, such as stress. The brain then creates an association between the behavior and feeling better.
“Then it becomes ‘I only feel good when I do that thing,’ and that’s when we end up with addiction,” Sanford says.
THE SCIENCE BEHIND ADDICTION
Two chemicals, dopamine and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), play a vital role in addiction. Dopamine creates an anticipatory thrill associated with initial use. GABA is a euphoric relaxation and plays an important role in drug reward and the development of addiction.
When someone engages in addictive behaviors, they artificially inflate the dopamine and GABA in the brain.
“Your brain then stops producing those things on its own without the behavior to go along with it,” Sanford says. “That means nothing else you do is as enjoyable as it used to be because you don’t have enough dopamine and GABA in your brain to create that sense of enjoyment.”
WARNING SIGNS
One of the biggest tells that someone is veering into problematic behavior is if the addiction starts negatively impacting their life, such as causing a job loss or driving a wedge in relationships. Other warning signs include an increase in impulsivity or using addictive behaviors as a coping mechanism.
CHANGING COURSE
When struggling with addictive behaviors, it may seem impossible to return to a life without them. Sanford says the key to fighting addiction is to detox from the addictive behaviors and replace them with something else.
A detox, such as a 30-day break from social media, allows the brain to reset and produce GABA and dopamine in a more natural way. That replacement can help people cope in a healthy way without having that behavior in their lives. Embracing healthy replacement behaviors that bring joy, such as exercise, a group cooking class, reading or crafts, can help with the isolation and frustration that are often experienced during the withdrawal process.
SEEKING HELP
For someone seeking help, finding a therapist and leaning on a close inner circle can provide necessary support to overcome addiction.
No matter what, don’t expect a quick fix. “I talk to clients about embracing [that the process is going to suck],” Sanford says. “Remind yourself that it will be different soon. You just have to wait it out.”
THE BERMAN CENTER
770.336.7444
bermancenteratl.com
@thebermancenter
STORY: Katie Hughes
PHOTO: Joann Vitelli
